Good Neighbor pharmacists can vaccinate patients under collaborative-practice agreements

By Alaric DeArment

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. – Pharmacists at Good Neighbor Pharmacy can provide immunizations to patients without a prescription from a physician under a new program, parent company AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. said.

AmerisourceBergen said it was offering the service under the Good Neighbor Pharmacy Provider Network's Collaborative Practice Coverage program, which allows independent pharmacists to benefit from GNPPN's collaborative practice agreements, which it has in 19 states.

The agreements are contracts between pharmacists and physicians that allow pharmacists to independently determine the need for vaccines. The vaccinations that pharmacists can administer depend on state regulations, but include flu, hepatitis A and B, tetanus, MMR and human papillomavirus, an AmerisourceBergen spokeswoman told DSN.

More than 100 pharmacies have enrolled in the program, the company said, announcing the program at the community pharmacy trade show ThoughtSpot 2013, currently underway in Las Vegas.

"Patient access to vaccinations remains a challenge, but as America's most accessible healthcare professionals, pharmacists are ideally positioned to address this public health need," AmerisourceBergen group VP pharmacy technology and solutions Chuck Reed said. "However, many independent community pharmacists have experienced difficulty finding a physician willing to engage in collaborative practices. Our collaborative practice coverage is designed to help these pharmacies attract and retain patients, increase their revenue and remain competitive."

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